Boot or shoe.



J. H. WAITE. BOOT 0B SHOE. APPLICATION FILED 001219. 1907.

91 8561 5. n ed Apr. 20, 1909.

NOR ls PETERS ca. WASMINOTdN. :x'c.

, same time'give the foot a neat and attractvamp and these facings being integral with the vamp, reduce the thickness of the seam zen of the United States, residing at Brocking of a boot or shoe over the instep without down below the instep so as to permit lacfor shoes which are intended to have a good appearance.

ton fastening, thetightness of the boot or dependent; fastening devices may be applied UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. WAITE, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE.

Application filed October 19,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J 01in H. \Vnrrn, a cititon, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Boot or Shoe, of which the following is a specification.

Itis often desirable to adjust the fasteninterfering with the remainder of the lacing or buttons with which the shoe is fastened. In one kind ofboot, the upper has been cut ing farther down to give greater ease and comfort at this point. This, however, as heretofore. accomplished, results in an un tidy appearance and has never been adopted The principal objects of this invention are to provide a construction in which, without interfering with the ordinary lace or butshoe overthe instep can be varied at will, and at the same time to provide means whereby the shoe may be cut down farther in thefront than is ordinarily the case so that this additional fastening means may extend farther down toward the toe and at the ive appearance. This is done by constructing thequarters in such a way that two 1nto them, one at the lower and the other at the upper part, the latter being of any ordinary kind and the former preferably being a lacing which can be adjusted at will. while the upper fastening is undisturbed. This result is also preferably accomplished by a modificationof theblank for the vamp by which thewaste piece in the throat is utilized to provide facings for the lower part of the at the bottom of the instep by one layer of leather,thus giving additional comfort at a point where much trouble is often'experienced.

It will be seen, therefore, that another object of the. invention is an economy secured by the, utilization of the waste throat piece, while another matter of economy can be taken advantage of in connection with this Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

1907. Serial No. 398,228.

invention by a modification of the form of the Vamps, whereby small pieces may be used at the bottom thereof without in any way detracting from the appearance of the boot or shoe but in fact enhancing it.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing which shows a certain preferred form of the invention and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a boot or shoe showing the invention as applied thereto when the main fastening is of the button variety. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the invention applied to a Bal. shoe. Fig. 3 is a plan of a part of Fig. l on enlarged scale showing how the parts are connected together. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a shoe showing a new form of fastening device to take the place of the buttons, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the blank for the vamp showing how the waste piece in the throat is utilized.

The shoe, as usual, comprises a vamp aand two quarters Z). Referring to Fig. 5, the blank A for the vamp is shown as having a portion cut out from one end toward its center to form a throat A which is made of a shape similar to that ordinarily employed in this art except that at the forward end A of the throat, the same is extended forward to a greater degree and preferably terminates in two curves of large radius. Ordinarily, a waste piece is removed from this throat, this waste piece extending nearly down to the point A but usually somewhat short of the same on account of the shape of the die at this point. In carrying out the present invention, I prefer to utilize a portion of this waste piece by making a longitudinal slit at A therein extending down to a point somewhat forward of the point A that is, the end of the slit A extends about to the line which would be made by a continuation of the curves of the front part of the throat of the upper. A little material preferably is removed from the slit to fit the two pieces A and A at the sides thereof for facings. A little material also may be removed between their outer edges and the adjacent edges of the main body of the upper, but of course the shape which these two pieces have may be varied within wide limits.

The quarters I) may be made in the usual way modified at the forward end sufliciently if necessary to correspond with the modified form of the vamp. In assembling the parts, the quarters are secured to the vamps inthe usual way except that the two facing pieces A and A are secured over the forward edges of the vamps. This may be done in any desired way.

On account of the extension of the curves A and the slit A" as has been described, the shoe maybe made to open farther down than is usually the case and-eyelets being applied to the facing'and lower part of the quarters, alacing (Z or other fastening device may be applied at this point. It will be seen that this lacing extends over the instep from a point below that at which the shoe usually opens and that the-lacing may he changed and adjusted to suit the convenience of the wearer, independently of the main fastening device which in Fig. 1 consists of a row of buttons e extending upwardly from the top ofthe-adjustable fasteningd. In this form of shoe, the outside facing piece A extends along the edge of the quarter as high as it is intended to have the adjustable fastening extend and under the flap 5 inwhich the button holes are locatedi The inside facing piece A preferably isof the same length and extends slightly above the point at which the edge of the flap 7) overlaps it. Thus the flap will conceal the ends ofthe facings and the adjustable fastening or lacing (Z will be exposed to View and terminate in a bow just at the bottom ofthe flap Z). This results in a very neat appearance in addition to the advantages which have been described above. An important feature of this construction is that in the seam at the bottom of the facing strips A and A there is one less thickness of material than is the case where additional facing strips have to be applied. This reduces the ridge always present at this point and. materially adds to the comfort of the shoe. Moreover as has been set forth, this ridge is at a lower point where it will not cause as much discomfort as when it is located well up on the instep, where it has to be in ordinary boots and shoes in order to secure an attractive appearance.

The invention may be carried out with additional economy; namely, the making of the quarters Z) out of a smaller piece of material and allowing them to terminate at a seam 5 piece of leather 7' is sewed tothe lower end of each quarter. These additional pieces are of a general triangular shape and may be made of waste pieces which ordinarily cannot be used. On account of the adjustable lacing (101 other fastening, the seam at 5 does not detract from the appearance of the shoe as would be the case in the'ordinary button, Bal., or Blucher shoe. This feature 'of the invention while shown particularly in Fig. 3, is applicable to all forms of shoes When this is done an additional which may be made according to this invention.

In Fi 2 also the invention is shown as applied to a Blucher shoe in which case the two flaps b of the quarters are brought over the facing pieces A* and A so as to-meet along the center and so as to cover the facing pieces in a. manner similar to that described above with reference to the flap 6.

In Fig. 4 I have shown another way in which-the main fastening may be made, as a substitute for the button or lacing ordinarily used; This consists of a series of hooks g on one of the quarters and a series of'eyelets IL on the'edge ofthe'fiapb' of the other quarter, this flap preferably extending overin a manner similar to the buttonfiap. A single lacing 7a is secured at one end near one of the eyelets-or hooks and is then alternately threaded through the eyelets and over the hooks as is indicated.- By means of such a lacing the boot may bedrawn up and tied in a very convenient way and as the lacing may remain threaded through the eyelets when the boot is taken off, it'can'be applied to the hooksvery readily.

While I have illustrated and described certain preferred forms of the invention, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein byany person skilled in the art without departing from thescope-thereof as expressed in the claims. Consequently, I do not wish to be-limited to the particular forms of the invention. shown but What I do claim is 1. A bootor shoe provided with a vamp and twoquarters, the quarters opening from the top-to a point below the top edge of the vamp and having a mainfastening means for the opening consisting of a row of but tons extending down substantially. tothetop of the convex part of the instep, and an independently adjustable fastening means extending downwardly on the-topof'the in:

step along said opening from the row of buttons to the bottom of-the quarters, said second fastening means being connected with the quarters and with the vamp.

2; A boot or shoe comprising a vamp and quarters, the piece in the front of'the vamp being left on the same and integral therewith, and being slit longitudinally so asto constitute two facings, saidfacings lying along the edges of the lower parts of the quarters and on the outside thereof, the

upper part of the quarters extending over.

the upper ends of said facing, and means for securing-said facings directly to the lower front edges of said quarters.

3. A boot or shoe comprising a, vamp and quarters, t-hepiece in the front of the vamp being left on the same and integral therewith, and being slit longitudinally so as to. V

constitute two facings, said facings lying along theedges of the lower parts of the quarters and on the outside thereof, the upper part of thequarters extending over the upper ends of said facings,means for securing said facings directly to the lower front edges of said quarters, a short lacing for securing the lower parts of the quarters and facings together, and a main fastening means for the quarters above the tops of said facings.

4. In a boot or shoe, the combination of a vam having the piece in the throat thereof slit ongitudinal-ly and trimmed to form a facing integral with the vamp at the front of the throat thereof, a pair of quarters connected with the vamp and each consisting of two parts, one of said parts being of substantially a triangular shape and located at the front of the quarter, and in the front part of the throat of the vamp, the said facings being fixed to the front of said triangular pieces, a fastening means for said triangular parts and faeings, and an additional fastening means for the main part of said quarters entirely above said triangular parts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. VVAITE. \Vitnesses CLIFFORD TANNER, GRACE D. DOWNING. 

